§ 16. Barbara FollettTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations his Department has received about the alleviation of the debts of countries with a large number of HIV/AIDS cases. [135964]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonThe Government receive frequent representations on this issue which was discussed along with other pressing development concerns, for example at the recent meeting of Commonwealth Finance Ministers in Malta where I represented the UK.
Tragically HIV/AIDS is a serious problem, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In response the Government continue to press for faster, wider and deeper debt relief, are significantly increasing our aid spending and, as announced in the pre-Budget Report, we will be doing urgent work into ways to encourage the research and development of new vaccines for HIV/AIDS and the other major diseases so badly affecting developing countries.